There are two Prosecco DOCG zones in the Veneto -- the internationally known Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG (UNESCO 2019) and the smaller, less-visited Asolo Prosecco DOCG (Colli Asolani -- Asolo Prosecco DOCG, since 2009). The Asolo DOCG covers the Colli Asolani (the Asolo Hills) in the Treviso province, centred on the medieval hilltop town of Asolo -- 23 communes between Asolo and Montebelluna, the southeastern continuation of the Prosecco hillside landscape. The Asolo Prosecco character: the Colli Asolani terroir (a specific combination of clay and calcareous soils at 100-350 m altitude on the south-facing Asolo hill slopes, warmer and more sheltered than the Valdobbiadene zone) produces a Prosecco with slightly more body and residual sweetness -- the traditional Asolo Prosecco style is the Extra Dry (slightly sweeter than Brut) rather than the Valdobbiadene dominance of Brut styles. The town of Asolo: independently of the wine, Asolo (population 9,000) is the most architecturally distinguished small town in the Veneto -- the medieval Rocca fortress, the Villa dei Maser (the Palladio-Veronese architectural masterpiece 5 km away), and the specific character of the town that hosted Caterina Cornaro (the Venetian Queen of Cyprus who retired here in 1489). Veneto guide
Plan my Italy trip →Zone: 23 communes, Colli Asolani, province of Treviso | DOCG since: 2009 | Grape: Min. 85% Glera | Typical style: Extra Dry (Asolo) vs Brut-dominant (Valdobbiadene) | Production: ~10 million bottles/year (vs 100 million Conegliano Valdobbiadene) | Key producers: Bele Casel, Canevel, Col Sandago
The two Prosecco DOCG zones are legally and stylistically distinct: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG covers the 15-commune UNESCO hillside zone; produces approximately 100 million bottles per year; the landscape is steeper (up to 35 degrees), more intensely terraced, with the Cartizze sub-zone as the premium; the dominant commercial styles have shifted toward Brut since approximately 2015. Asolo Prosecco DOCG (Colli Asolani) covers 23 communes on the gentler Asolo hillside slopes; produces approximately 10 million bottles per year (1/10th the volume); the terroir difference produces a wine with slightly more body and softness; the traditional Asolo Extra Dry style has more residual sugar (12-17 g/l versus the Brut's under 12 g/l) and was historically considered the more gastronomically versatile Prosecco for food matching. The Asolo Prosecco producers: fewer and smaller than the Valdobbiadene zone; direct producer visits are more accessible; the price is typically comparable to or slightly below equivalent quality Valdobbiadene.
Asolo was given by the Republic of Venice to Caterina Cornaro (1454-1510), the Venetian noblewoman who had been Queen of Cyprus, as a retirement domain after Venice forced her to abdicate the Cypriot throne in 1489 in exchange for Asolo's sovereignty and a generous annual stipend. Caterina established an intellectually vibrant court at the Asolo castle; the humanist writer Pietro Bembo dedicated his dialogue 'Gli Asolani' (On Love, 1505) to Caterina, creating the word 'asolando' (to wander pleasantly in Asolo) -- later used by Robert Browning for his last poetry collection (Asolando, published the day he died in Venice in 1889; Browning had lived in Asolo and loved it). Villa Barbaro at Maser: 5 km from Asolo, the Villa di Maser (Palladio 1558-1570, with the internal frescoes by Paolo Veronese -- the most complete Palladio-Veronese collaboration, the only surviving example where both the architecture and the complete original fresco programme are intact) is one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Italy. Entry approximately EUR 10; the villa is still inhabited by the Volpi family (descendants of the original Barbaro commissioners). Veneto guide
Asolo Prosecco DOCG (Colli Asolani DOCG) is the smaller of Italy's two Prosecco DOCG zones -- 23 communes on the Asolo hills in Treviso province, producing approximately 10 million bottles per year (versus 100 million for Conegliano Valdobbiadene). The Asolo DOCG uses minimum 85% Glera; the typical style is Extra Dry (slightly more residual sugar than Brut); the terroir produces a slightly more rounded, softer Prosecco than the mineral Valdobbiadene styles. The town of Asolo is independently the most beautiful small medieval town in the Veneto.
Asolo Prosecco DOCG differences from Conegliano Valdobbiadene: smaller production volume (10 million vs 100 million bottles/year); gentler hillside terrain; slightly warmer and more sheltered terroir producing a rounder, softer wine; the traditional style is Extra Dry (12-17 g/l residual sugar) rather than the Brut-dominant Valdobbiadene; fewer and smaller producers, more accessible for direct visits. The Valdobbiadene has the Cartizze premium sub-zone and the UNESCO prestige; the Asolo DOCG has the beautiful town and the Villa di Maser. Both are genuinely superior to the broad DOC zone.
Asolo (population 9,000, province of Treviso) is the most architecturally distinguished small town in the Veneto -- a medieval hilltop town with: the Rocca fortress overlooking the Veneto plain; the Villa Cornaro (associated with Caterina Cornaro, the Venetian Queen of Cyprus who lived in Asolo from 1489-1510 after Venice forced her to abdicate); the central Piazza Garibaldi with the medieval arcade; and the Villa di Maser 5 km away (Palladio 1558, Veronese frescoes, one of Italy's finest Renaissance buildings). Robert Browning lived in Asolo and named his last poetry collection 'Asolando' (published 1889). Easily reached from Treviso (30 km) and Venice (60 km).
The Villa Barbaro at Maser (Villa di Maser, 5 km from Asolo, province of Treviso) is a Palladio-designed villa (1558-1570) with internal frescoes by Paolo Veronese -- the most complete surviving Palladio-Veronese collaboration, the only building where both the Palladian architecture and the complete original Veronese fresco programme are intact. The frescoes: full-room illusionistic scenes with trompe-l'oeil doors, windows, and figures that create the impression of a larger inhabited space; the specific Veronese programme at Maser is the finest example of Renaissance illusionistic decoration in the Veneto. The villa is still inhabited by the Volpi family (descendants of the Barbaro original commissioners); entry approximately EUR 10; open Tuesday-Sunday (check for current hours at villabarbaro.it).
Asolo Prosecco DOCG tasting + Villa di Maser Palladio-Veronese + Treviso historic centre + Venice day trip -- the complete Treviso province circuit.
Plan my Veneto trip →The Villa Barbaro at Maser (1558-1570, designed by Andrea Palladio for the brothers Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro) is one of the finest Italian Renaissance buildings and the most complete surviving example of the Palladio-Veronese architectural collaboration. The Palladian contribution: the central barchessa (the extended wings connecting the central villa block to the flanking tower pavilions) is one of Palladio's most elegant organizational solutions; the villa's relationship to the agricultural landscape (the building is set into a hillside with the terraced garden ascending behind it, the view over the Treviso plain extending in front) demonstrates the Palladian philosophy of architecture as landscape integration. The Veronese contribution: the entire interior of the main block is painted with an illusionistic fresco programme (1560-1561) in which Veronese created fictive doorways, windows, terraces, and figures that extend the actual space into an imagined baroque interior before baroque was invented. Specific details: the false doorway at the end of the main hall through which Marcantonio Barbaro appears to have just walked; the hunting dog at the base of the loggia fresco that appears to be on the actual floor level. UNESCO 1996 as part of the Palladian Villas of the Veneto designation.
Asolo Prosecco DOCG food pairing: the Extra Dry style (the traditional Asolo style, 12-17 g/l residual sugar) works particularly well with: the Treviso food tradition (radicchio di Treviso IGP -- the bitter chicory grilled or in risotto; the Prosecco's slight sweetness balances the radicchio bitterness); fresh pasta with butter and sage (the Veneto pasta tradition; the Asolo Extra Dry's softness matches the butter richness); and the brunch-style antipasto (prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, soppressa veneta, fresh ricotta -- the Asolo Prosecco is one of the best Italian wines for aperitivo and light antipasto). The Asolo Brut style (the drier version, under 12 g/l residual sugar, more recently developed by the Asolo DOCG producers as the market has shifted toward Brut) pairs better with more savoury antipasto and risotto. The specific Asolo food recommendation: the trattorie in Asolo village serve the specific Treviso province kitchen (tripe in broth, fagioli con cotiche, bigoli con l'anara -- the thick wholemeal spaghetti with duck ragù) -- these dishes with the local Asolo Prosecco at the table give the most complete Asolo food-wine experience.
Palladian Villas UNESCO near Asolo: the Villa Emo at Fanzolo (15 km south of Asolo, 1559-1565 -- the most classically restrained of the Palladian villas, with the extraordinary barchessa wings extending laterally from the central temple-front block; frescoes by Zelotti; the working farm character has been preserved); the Villa Cornaro at Piombino Dese (25 km south, 1553-1554 -- the two-storey portico solution that Palladio used as the prototype for American Colonial architecture; the house is privately owned but open for tours on Saturday afternoons in summer); and the Villa Barbaro itself at Maser (described above). The Palladian Villas of the Veneto UNESCO designation (1996) covers 24 specific Palladio buildings in the Veneto; the Asolo area contains three of the finest, making a specific Palladio-and-Prosecco circuit the most architecturally coherent day in the province of Treviso.
Robert Browning (1812-1889), the English poet, lived in Asolo on two separate occasions and considered it his favourite Italian town. His last poetry collection, Asolando: Fancies and Facts, was published on December 12, 1889 -- the day Browning died in Venice at his son's palazzo. The title 'Asolando' was Browning's invention from the word 'asolando' (to wander pleasantly in Asolo, derived from Pietro Bembo's usage in Gli Asolani, 1505). The specific Browning-Asolo connection: Browning spent significant time in Asolo in 1838 (his first Italian visit) and returned in 1889; the specific character of Asolo (the quiet, the views, the specific small-town Italian life) is reflected in the Asolando poems. Browning is buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey; a commemorative plaque in Asolo town marks his connection to the town. The Eleanor Duse connection: the great Italian actress Eleonora Duse (1858-1924) also lived in Asolo in her final years and is buried in the Asolo cemetery -- making Asolo the only Italian town to claim two major figures of 19th-century European culture as residents.
Asolo restaurants: the town's elevated culinary tradition (the Treviso province food culture -- radicchio, soppressa, risotto, bigoli pasta) combined with the Asolo wine proximity makes the Asolo restaurant circuit more rewarding than most Veneto small towns of similar size. The Hostaria Ca' Derton (Piazza D'Annunzio 11 -- the most traditionally positioned Asolo restaurant, the specific Treviso province kitchen with excellent Asolo Prosecco wine list; the radicchio in all its preparations); and the Ristorante Al Bacaro (Via Browning -- named for the poet, the most specifically Asolo-character wine bar and restaurant, the cicchetti tradition applied to the Treviso kitchen). The Villa Cipriani Hotel (Via Canova 298 -- the Venetian luxury hotel on the Asolo hilltop, in the garden of a villa where the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio stayed; the hotel restaurant serves the most refined version of the Treviso province kitchen; EUR 60-100 per person for dinner).